Page 2032 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 25 October 1989
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ACT, that was the price he paid, the 30 pieces of silver. The 30 pieces of silver were support for this totally inappropriate course of action.
But Mr Jensen sought some interest on the 30 pieces of silver by extending - - -
Mr Stevenson: I rise on a point of order, Mr Speaker. I do not believe this is speaking to the amendment. I do not know whether the amendment has been mentioned yet.
MR SPEAKER: You are out of order, Mr Stevenson. The Minister can speak to both the motion and the amendment.
MR WHALAN: So Mr Jensen then called up some interest on the 30 pieces of silver by extending the motion to allow the Residents Rally party to enjoy the same privilege, to enjoy the same opportunity to rort the system. I can still remember quite well the comments of my colleague Mr Berry when this was last debated - which went unobjected to, I might say - when he said, "This is nothing more and nothing less than a tax rort". The circumstances are no different from what they were on 24 August. It is still the same old 30 pieces of silver, which have been recycled. No doubt, judging by the comments of both Mr Jensen and Dr Kinloch, once again we will see the Residents Rally deliver their vote to Mr Stevenson, and no doubt they will be appropriately rewarded in the future.
MR COLLAERY (11.05): We have heard from this eloquent Deputy Chief Minister, who is looking very refreshed and well this morning, and we congratulate him on his excellent delivery, considering the stresses and strains of his office. The Residents Rally supports the notion that members of this Assembly at large should be allowed to employ consultants. The Residents Rally supports the notion that we should be able in our Bills program to employ consultant attorneys to assist us, and I have had initial discussions in that regard. The advice Mr Stevenson has received in relation to his attempted amendment to the Bill from the acting deputy legislative counsel - and I will read it into the record - is as follows:
Your instructions indicate that you believe that the money to pay members consultants would be found under arrangements contemplated by sub-clause 16(2) of the Bill or otherwise from budgetary allocations. These arrangements of course relate to the employment of staff not consultants. In any event it is clear that you intend that the cost of engaging the consultants will be borne by the Territory. In the circumstances your proposal would have the effect of increasing the amount of public money of the Territory to be charged. This would contravene section 65 of the ACT (Self-Government) Act. Accordingly, I am unable to give effect to your instructions.
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